Bolton schools prepare for a new year

Friday

The last week of summer vacation is coming to an end, but while students were outside enjoying the weather, area school districts were readying for the upcoming year.

The last week of summer vacation is coming to an end, but while students were outside enjoying the weather, area school districts were readying for the upcoming year.

In Harvard, interim Superintendent Joseph Connelly was preparing for the district’s annual school readiness meeting, scheduled for this past Monday.

“We have the police department, fire department, DPW, bus company and the principals go over every aspect of the school opening, to be sure we have everything in place,” he said. “We want to ensure the kids come back to a safe and ready environment.”

One of the bigger changes for Harvard students, he said, is the hiring of a new bus company.

“For many years, we had Gokey and Quinn, but when we put the contract out to bid, Dee Bus Company had the lowest bid,” Connelly said. “We have had a number of meetings with them and I think they’re going to be a strong company that will meet our needs. … Several of the old bus drivers have been retained by Dee, so about seven of the bus runs will have experienced drivers.”

Students from first through twelfth grades begin school on Aug. 28. Kindergarten students report Aug. 29.

At Nashoba Regional High School, which serves students from Bolton, Lancaster and Stow, Principal Parry Graham said changes at the school this year would be felt more by staff than students.

“This is our self-study year for NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges),” he said. “All staff members are assigned to different committees that correspond to different standards.”

Teachers will also experience a new evaluation tool, which is rolling out statewide.

“This year students are allowed to bring in their own tech device and if teachers give permission, they can use it during the classroom and then in study hall,” Graham said. “We are trying to be thoughtful about it. They’re all carrying phones that access the Internet anyway, and some lessons lend themselves to technology.”

School begins on Aug. 28.

In Maynard, the big news is the school year starting at a new high school, but that building is not the only facility experiencing changes.

“We had major renovations at Green Meadow, and we run a lot of summer programs,” Superintendent Robert Gerardi Jr. said. “Technically we had no high school, so those programs were run at Green Meadow and Fowler. Our outstanding custodial staff has been working extra hard [to be ready].”

Gerardi said he and Principal Charles Caragianes have been monitoring the end of the high school construction, but added although school will open on Aug. 29 it’s important to remember the project won’t be completed until December.

“It’s a phased construction completion,” he said. “We’re trying to make it as comfortable as possible, but there will be some inconveniences in the beginning.”

One of those, he said, is the parking situation.

“Just by the nature of the project, because we built a new building behind the old one, initially there will be one driveway and one parking lot,” Gerardi said. “It will take several months to demolish the old building and then redo the driveway and create the new lot.”

Clinton students return Aug. 28 as well, and two of the three schools will have new administrators.

At Clinton Elementary School, Robert Rouleau and Meghan Silvio will replace the retiring principal and vice principal, Geri Sargent and Kenny Contreras, respectively. And at Clinton Middle School, Ralph Dawkins will be the new vice-principal, replacing Rouleau.

“There are lots of changes, but they are good teams,” Superintendent Terrance Ingano said. “It’s exciting.”

Ingano said there have been other positive changes in the district.

“We are reinstituting art at the elementary school,” he said. “The middle school is now going to do full-time Spanish, so every grade will have some Spanish instruction. There’s a new front sidewalk at the high school and we also have the bring-your-own-device program at CHS.”

Ingano also said there is preliminary good news from the state.

“The test scores are in and in most cases are looking good,” Ingano said. “There’s always room to grow but I think it’s going to be a good year.”

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